When Shadows Infest the Mind
by kazikamikaze24
Summary: Ryo lost both his father and his home all at once, though all he has left from the disaster is Vivi, a very unique Kirlia, and Gaia, a special Cyndaquil. As he is forced to retell his childhood before he can be released from police custody, he wonders if he can ever escape the legacy that his his father, the Chimera Scientist, left for him to piece together.
1. Chapter 1

_When I was a young child, I would wake up in a room quite bland, as the only thing that made this room different from the others were the books that litered the floor. My father was a researcher, so there would be times that one of his late night experiments would wake me from my slumber and spike my curiosity at what he was doing. Most of the time, he made sure my door was locked so I couldn't leave my room at nights; however, on that particular night, I went to bed early. I wasn't feeling well that day, so I hoped that some additional hours of sleep would help my body heal. So, imagine my surprise when I found my door unlocked, a surprise if I ever saw one back then!_

_I can still hear the screams of the Pokemon get louder and louder as I walked closer to my father's laboratory. The hallway was cold, not only in temperature, but in the lack of decor of the walls surrounding him. When I reached my father's laboratory, the door was open just enough to allow me to see the test tubes, computers, and Pokeballs that were placed all over the giant room. His prized Pokemon stood beside him, towering over him like a predator protecting its offspring from an enemy, was one of the few Pokemon I was able to play with as a kid. When I was still young, I couldn't help but to become mad at my father, who had plenty of Pokemon at his disposal, yet I didn't have a single one to my name._

_Then again, I was six at the time, and didn't know much about responsibility._

_It was then that my father's massive Pokemon moved, allowing me to see the Pokemon that was screaming throughout my father's experiment. It stood thanks to the chains pinning it to the wall, allowing me to see its thin, sweat covered body, as well as the blood stains around its arms. I, back then, didn't understand what the red fin on its chest was there for, but when the Pokemon looked up from the ground and stared at me, I could see the hurt in its eyes. The pain it must of gone through must of been horrible, and here I was, not doing anything but pondering what experiment my father was planning to do with this unusual Pokemon this night. I was rarely told of the results of my father's projects, and the times I was told of them were when they were highly successful, leaving me out of the others he must of done._

_"Ryo." My father turned to me, surprising me greatly. I suppose the way the Pokemon stared at me signaled that something was up, and here he was, looking at me. I opened the door and took a few steps forward, and it was then that my father stepped down and rubbed my hair. "You should be sleeping. Its two in the morning son."_

_"I woke up." I said, glancing up at his prized Pokemon. "The door was open, letting the noise leave the room." He looked at the door and nodded, most likely making a note to fix the door, and tried to push me out the room._

_"Go back to bed Ryo. I'm working on something very important."_

_"No!" I shouted, and pulled away from my father. I can still remember how angry I was in that single moment, and I pointed at the chained Pokemon while my eyes were set on my father. "Every night you are in here working on a project. When it isn't a project that isn't related to work, its one of your own personal projects, and if its neither of those two, then you're with some random Pokemon that you somehow get! How is it that you...you have all of these Pokemon in the first place!" The look my father expressed was one of confusion and hurt, though his hurt couldn't compare to the one the chained Pokemon showed him. He stood up and gave me a stern look, one that I couldn't tell apart from annoyance or disappointment, and I was mentally prepared for the slap to the face I would of normally gotten._

_"What are you saying son?" It was so obvious, was what I thought in that moment. How could he be so stupid and not understand what I was getting to? My dad, the scientist, researcher, WHATEVER he was, couldn't tell what I wanted?_

_"I want a Pokemon dad!" I said in anger. "I want a Pokemon, no, a SPECIAL Pokemon! One unlike anything ever seen! You have such cool Pokemon, and yet I don't have a single one! That's what I want father. A Pokemon!"_

_"Is that it?" The smile on my father's face, now that I think back, was that a crazed person would use, but back then, it only showed happiness and joy to me. He walked over and ran his hand through my hair, bringing me slightly closer to him. "A special Pokemon, one like no one has ever seen, did I hear you right?" I nodded, such a foolish thing I did back then. "Well, alright then!" He picked me up and took me back to my room. When I was placed on the bed, he laid me down and handed me my cover. "I'll make you a special Pokemon, one that only you can claim to ever own Ryo. How does that sound!"_

_"That's great dad! I love you dad!"_

_"I love you too..." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, causing me to push him away and mumble "gross" at his action. This simply made him chuckle and pull away. "Now go to bed Ryo. You have to get up early to meet up with your tutors okay? Good night my son." It was after that he walked out of the room, and proceeded to lock it. A few minutes later, as sleep closed in to swallow me whole, I heard my father's prized Pokemon release a mighty roar, followed by the most painful scream I ever heard. If I had known what my words caused, I might not of asked him for him to get me such a special Pokemon. I might of asked for a Pidgy, a Meowth, or even a Bidoof; however, I was only a child back then, and I couldn't help but to think of the promise my father made, and went to sleep._

_Oh, how foolish I was back then._

-When Shadows Infest the Mind: Chapter One-

_It had been a few months since I awoke that fated night, and not much changed between my father and I during those months. I pestered him about my Pokemon, but he would only grin or frown and told me to give him time. I rarely saw him, mostly due to my tutors taking me to one of the study rooms and forced me to learn what they were told to teach me, and when I did see him, he would only ask me how my day was. I would tell him the same thing, only swapping the names of the tutor or the lessons of the day around, so those few months were rather boring._

_No, they were teasing me, now that I think about it. My tutors brought out their Pokemon to demonstrate everything, from Sevipers to Machops, and my mind constantly reminded me of the promised Pokemon. I wished I could of seen what happened that night after my father left the room, such as if he immediately worked on my Pokemon, or if he went back to his project. So, during those few months, I found myself getting sad, wondering if he lied to me about getting me that special Pokemon. Though, if I had to be honest, I guess back then it would of been silly to expect my father to get me something so unique in this world._

_Then, it began to snow, signaling that December was just around the corner. The tutors started to go on their winter breaks, leaving me alone in our home, which was built on the side of a mountain, and made me realize how empty the house was without them around. Yes, there were the other scientists that helped my father, but they stayed in the labs, and I wasn't allowed to go in them without my father anymore. The days passed with relative ease, the TV was what mainly kept me from boredom, though drawing whatever my Pokemon to be might look like helped fight the boredom as well. Soon, Christmas Eve came, and I didn't see a trace of my father anywhere. The pine tree was already decorated, which mustn't of taken long since the tree was fake, and there were several presents under it as well. Most of the presents would be for me, as they were every year I could remember, yet nothing looked small enough to be a Pokeball. I wondered if he made me multiple Pokemon, meaning that one of the larger boxes held multiple Pokeballs!_

_I was so excited at the thought that, that very night, I made sure to go to sleep early so no one would lock me in the room. As expected, I was able to leave the room and creeped out to the main room, where the tree was. At least, I would of, if I didn't see my father and one of his scientists standing next to him. The younger scientist wore a worried expression on his face, a look that was opposite of my fathers, who seemed extremely happy._

_"Sir, the Pokemon is still too young to be cared for by anyone. It still time to fully develop in the lab, as we aren't sure what can happen to the R-"_

_"That's enough Dutch!" My father exclaimed, causing the young scientist to flinch. "Yes, it is shorter than the standard time, but it is also growing at a faster rate than expected. I'm more than sure that this Pokemon will grow to be healthier than we'd ever expect it to. Being who its doners are, I'm sure that this Pokemon will be all that I'd ever hope for, if not more so. My son will be so happy with this..." At that, my heart began to beat faster at his words. Then again, what kid wouldn't if they realized their parent was talking about their gifts?_

_"But sir! I can't suggest that we give it to him so soon. One, two months more just to make sure that everything is well after it hatches will be good, but the stimulating egg container won't do the Pokemon within justice! It might die if hatched early!"_

_"At WORST," His father spat at the young man, "and I say that loosely, the Pokemon will end up not knowing some of the attacks we think it might know without forcing it to act. If that is all Dutch, you can go back to your quarters and take tomorrow off, like the others. It is a stressful time of the year, don't you think?" I saw the young scientist squeeze the clip board he had with him before he left, leaving his father to place the container behind several gifts and left through another door. I wanted to open the gift so badly, bad enough to just scream and rip everything apart, but I could wait. Now that I know that my father didn't forget about me and my wants, I could go back to my room and sleep._

"So what happened after you woke up the next day?" Ryo looked away from the two way mirror to see a fairly aged man in a brown suit looking at him. His assistant, a meek woman whose name he didn't catch, was writing everything he said down on a laptop. A Pokell, if he wasn't mistaken.

"Then I walked to the main room and saw my father standing with a wide smile on his face, offering me a glass of eggnog and cookies before he watched me open my gifts. I got some books on Pokemon from different regions and the rarity of type combinations, clothes, a lab coat like my fathers, and my Pokemon."

"Uh huh... Vivi is its name, isn't it?" Ryo nodded and reached for his wallet in his pocket. Once he pulled it out, he plucked out the picture that one of the scientists took that day. He couldn't stop himself from looking at his child-self, a short, smiling boy with a pair of wide, rectangular glasses with uncontrollable black hair that, at times, poked his eyes. His father, a tall, slightly chubby man with long, brown hair, and wore a lab coat, crouched behind him and Vivi. Vivi was something unique, like his father promised him, and he would never forget that moment when her egg hatched in his small arms.

Vivi, as the basic stage Pokemon, was short, around a foot and a half at the time, with a green helmet-like thing around her head that had black streaks on it. Though her eyes were hidden behind the helmet her breed had, he could see that most of her skin was white, with the exception of the area from her neck to her shoulders, which were covered by black fur. She was his best friend, his companion, and his partner for life, that was what he told himself as a child, and he took great care for her while he grew up. Still, now wasn't the time for him to think of the past, so he handed the man the picture and watched the man's eyes widen for a moment.

"So, she's a naturally born Pokemon?" The man asked, which he replied with a nod. "I shouldn't be surprised, considering who your father is."

"Mr. Silvia!" The man's assistant hissed out, causing the man to cough as a cover for the comment. It wasn't surprising, considering what he saw his father do while growing up in their home. He just wished...

"Anyway, could you please skip a few months ahead, unless something rather important took place after Christmas?" Mr. Silvia asked in a gruff voice. Ryo nodded and closed his eyes, allowing him to focus upon the memories he wanted to remember from back then.

"It was March, the snow was starting to melt, and there were signs of Pidgy and Spearow returing from their migration down south. I was watching my father ordering Vivi to use Confusion on several targets he had prepared for her, and she wasn't anywhere close enough to targeting them..."

_"NO! Your aim is horrible!" I heard my father yell at Vivi, who lowered her head as soon as he spoke. I finally found out that my special Pokemon was a Ralts, a Psychic Pokemon that either had the ability Synchronize or Trace, which would help me in any situation, except I noticed there were major differences between Vivi and the book. The book's definition of a Ralts had no black fur or black streaks on their helmets, and their eyes were supposed to be red, not purple. Then, as if to cause more confusion, the Ralts had a large growth spurt in terms of "levels", as it was already at level five, when most Pokemon that just hatched stayed around level one, maybe two or three in the overall time Vivi has been hatched from her egg._

_Another thing was her diet, though the books he recieved on Christmas didn't cover much specifications of a Psychic type's dietary needs. Most Pokemon wanted to eat fruits, usually their unique Poke-Berries, leaving other, more destructive Pokemon wanting meat, energy, or trash and rotten goods. In Vivi's case, she ate mostly meat, and would barely touch the berries unless she was exhausted, making me wonder if she didn't like the assortment my father prepared for her._

_"She is still a hatchling dad. Maybe she isn't in tune with her Psychic element yet?" I suggested to him, hoping he would ease his shouting at my Pokemon. If anything, what I said made him even angrier, as he responded by throwing the remote that would bring up the targets Vivi was to target rise to the ground._

_"Psychic types can do anything with their mind at WILL!" I fliched at my father's words, wondering what he was going to say next. I noticed that Vivi rubbed the area next to her eyes, and wondered if she had something in her eyes, or if she had a headache. As she tried using Confusion to hit her target, I noticed there was a smudge on my glasses and took them off to clean them, when I noticed something. Everything around me was blurry, making it nearly impossible for me to see everything past arms length clear enough to point out specific details. And then, as soon as I cleaned my glasses and placed them back on my head, I realized the problem._

_"Stop the test dad!" Vivi, who forced the rock she was supposed to hit the target with to collide into the wall, looked towards me, as did my father. He asked me why I wanted the test to end; however, instead of replying right away, I walked over to Vivi and took off my glasses. "They might be a little big, but they should help you see better." It was impossible to put the glasses on her, since she had no ears to hold them up, so I stood behind her and held them for her. Once I told my father to start the test again, the results were much different than before. Whereas Vivi continously missed each target, she was now hitting most of the closer targets with ease, though the further ones were impossible for her to hit._

_"So she couldn't see? Hm..." After that, my father told me that Vivi wasn't to do anything that would ruin her vision even more, such as looking at TV or the computers, and suggested that I read books with her. A doctor came a few days later and prepared contact lenses for her, though I had to apply them in the beginning, since she didn't understand how to apply or remove them. I didn't see my father much after that, other than to test Vivi's Psychic abilities, check her response time, or simply checking her health, so Vivi and I would be with the tutors, learning all we could from them._

"Does anything of importance happen after that?" Mr. Silvia asked him before yawning. Ryo looked over at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was already past midnight. Had he talked so much that time flew so fast?

"The only thing that happened that year was that I saw my father give the Gardevior, Vivi's mother, to one of the scientists working with him, Lauren, since she spoke of needing a new Psychic type to help her with experiments. Unfortunately, Vivi and I were there to hear him say some rather cruel things about her mother, which triggered-" A thump made him turn to the assistant, who fell out of her chair and began to groan. Mr. Silvia helped her off the floor, saved whatever she wrote on the laptop, and told her to head on home for the night.

"You, Ryo, should get some shut eye as well. You'll be asked more questions then, so don't blame me if you don't get enough sleep." With that said, Mr. Silvia walked out of the room, leaving him to get off the chair and lay down on the temporary bed that was placed in the interrogation room he was in at the moment. With a tired sigh he didn't know he had, he took his glasses off and closed his eyes, thinking of his father and the foolish things he did that led up to this moment.

-Author Note-

So, if anyone couldn't pick it up already, the underlined italics are flashback memories that Ryo is explaining to Mr. Silvia and his assistant. These will be the main source for details over the next few chapters, consider it a prologue if you will, before the main part of the story begins. With that out of the way, welcome to When Shadows Infest the Mind! This is a new Pokemon story of mine that I was inspired to write thanks to a sprite fusionist on Pokefarm, when I was stuck thinking of a second Pokemon to suggest for a Gardevior fusion. Who this Pokemon is, well, will be shown later on, most likely the next chapter. As to what his father's prized Pokemon is, it is something quite special, that is for sure. I don't have a solid idea as to which region this story will start in, so if you have a suggestion, please tell me in your review.

I don't own Pokemon, as to be expected. If anything, I own this story and nothing more!


	2. Chapter 2

When Ryo woke up the next day, he knew he should of been surprised to see Mr. Silvia drinking a cup of coffee, if his nose wasn't fooling him, with his assistant. However, thanks to waking up to seeing various tutors trying to stir him from his slumber as a child, the odd sight was nothing more than a normal occurance. When he saw a plate of eggs and pancakes on his side of the table, he quickly got up and began eating as if it was to be his last meal.

_'Considering what happened yesterday,'_ He thought to himself, _'It might just be my last.'_ Breakfast was quite awkward, mostly due to Mr. Silvia staring intently at him while he ate, though he ignored the sensation to the best of his ability and focused on the food. It wasn't that bad in taste, truth be told, though he had tasted better food found in mocrowaveable packages.

"So," Mr. Silvia started off, catching his attention, "you said something yesterday about something triggering your Pokemon, Vivi, to attack your father correct?" Ryo nodded, not knowing what else to do while he chewed his food. Once he was done eating his food, he took a drink of water, knowing full well that he would have more talking to do today, and his throat would be as dry as the desert region in Hoenn.

"Yes, as I began yesterday, Vivi and I came across my father giving Vivi's mother, a Gardevior, to one of his assistants, a scientist named Lauren. She was in need of a new Psychic type to help her with her experiments, you see, so that was the main reason she was given the Pokemon. What came next, though, was something I didn't know could happen..."

_"Sir? Are you sure that its alright to give me such a rare Pokemon?" The tall, brown haired woman asked my father. She worked with my father for little more than a year, born in a small, insignificant town in Kanto that didn't wish to expand into the technological world, if what I heard my father complain about her was correct._

_"Bah, of course its alright Lauren!" My father declared in a loud tone. He sounded happy, more happy than usual, making me feel sad about something giving him a better happiness than I. He placed the Pokeball on her extended hand and smiled. "Just because she is a Gardevior doesn't make her anything special. She is simply another Pokemon of the Psychic element, a field you're studying and hoping to discover vast things within it. So she will fit all of your necessary needs, once you get her healthy of course." A slightly concerned look began to show upon the young scientist's face, reminding me that Vivi, who most likely came from that same Gardevior, was beside me. Though I couldn't see her eyes due to her helmet, I could very well see the frown upon her small white head, and I honestly thought she would cry or moan, alerting the two to our presence._

_"What do you mean "get her healthy" sir? Did something happen to the Gardevior?" My father smirked at her, as if the physical condition of the Pokemon amused him, and it was a look I wasn't familiar seeing._

_"You know of my son's Pokemon, correct?" Lauren was about to nod, when my father began to speak again. "Well, one of my prized Pokemon was the one to help in its creation, to birth something that shouldn't of been made, yet succeeded by overflowing her with his seed of life. This was the only way to make such a pathetic, weak Pokemon become of use, by ensuring that the seed made way to the womb. She is back to her regular state, though you should of seen how stretched out she looked! How could such a Pokemon survive being filled like a water balloon, no, like a donut that is leaking with jelly is beyond even me!" I heard a small growl from my side, and looked at Vivi, who began to glow a soft red. This confused me, since all Psychic moves made the user glow blue, not red, which was associated with Fire attacks._

_"To be completely honest, I was kinda hoping that she would of died during the breeding attempt."_

_All of a sudden, the glow that surrounded Vivi intensified, producing what seemed to be levitating spheres of flame. The snarl that showed on her lips showed how angry she was, something I never seen from the short time we were together, and I couldn't say a word as she sent the flaming spheres at my father. It was Lauren who found enough of her voice to warn him of the impending attack, yet it was too late as the spheres collided into him, forcing him to harshfully slam into the wall to the left._

_"RALTS!" Vivi began to produce several more spheres, which danced to a menacing rhythm around her as she walked forward. Though small, the pace of her walking seemed to fan the flames, making them larger, growing to match her petite size in both height and width. I remember shouting her name telling her that he was my father, but it didn't seem to change her mind and released the flames. Only, instead of reaching their intended target, a flat, yellow wall appeapred in front of my father, protecting him from the attack. When I turned to the source of this wall, I was surprised to see a withered Pokemon standing in front of Lauren with a pained expression on its face. I could also see the scarring left upon its upper shoulders and midriff of its body, and it seemed to have a limp to its stance, as if its right leg was still too weak to stand upon._

_It was then that I noticed that this was Vivi's mother, the Gardevior that I saw months before on that fated day, and turned to Vivi, who was looking at the Gardevior as well. When did she notice her existence, was the question on my mind as the two stared at each other._

_"Incredible..." Lauren mumbled loud enough for me to hear. "For her to escape her Pokeball while being in such rough condition is truly a miracle." Then, without a word as to why, Vivi was picked up by its mother and was hugged. I couldn't help but to smile at the sight, as the two were reunited; however, it was the scream from Vivi that warned me that something was wrong, and it was then I noticed that she wasn't be hugged._

_She was being strangled!_

_"Let go of her!" I shouted as I ran to the Gardevior with a book in hand. Hardcover text books a lot, was my thought back then, so it should cause her to let go after a single hard strike. I didn't expect another barrier to form though, causing me to bounce off it with little effort and land on the ground. I heard Lauren shout an attack, and in a bright, dazzling flash, the barrier was destroyed, causing the Gardevior to jolt in surprise. This was the moment that I used to slam myself into her, forcing her to drop Vivi and raised the book in my hand to hit her._

_"Stop this at ONCE!" I turned to see my father, who was now standing with an expressionless face on him. I quickly did as he said, noticing the Pokemon with a skull over its head that stood next to Lauren with pride in its boneclub. A Marowak, now that I know more about Pokemon, though back then I couldn't identify it at all. He also had several burns where Vivi's unknown attack struck him, causing me to worry about him instantly. That was, until I heard him speak. "Ryo, you have such a unique Pokemon! She knows DRAGON RAGE, something I thought wouldn't come up in a heartbeat, though I should of expected it considering who was the donor. This opens up a whole slew of doors now, especially since I was able to see her own mother trying to kill her!"_

_"Don't say such a thing!" I shouted, mostly in fear of what he would do to Vivi. He looked at me, though I didn't flinch at his gaze. "You said horrible things that made her attack you in the first place! Would you of said those things so happily if it happened to mom!"_

_"Go to your room NOW!" It was rare that I saw my father get angry, even rarer if it was something I did. I deserved it, since mom was a sensitive topic for the both of us, but what he said about Vivi's mother was wrong in every sense of the word. With one final look at my father, I picked Vivi off the floor and walked back to my room, silently hoping she'd wake up soon, as she was heavier than I thought._

"Ability to...use Dragon type moves...Dragon Rage..." Ryo heard the assistant mumble to herself as she typed on the laptop. He wondered why she was so surprised, considering there were beings such as Charizard and Gyarados who could use the attack, yet weren't Dragon types in the form of elemental type. Charizard looked like a medieval dragon, while Charizard looked more like an ancient Chinese dragon, so maybe it was due to something in the ancient past that allowed them to learn Dragon moves.

Then again, now that he thought about it, he was used to seeing Vivi use such attacks for a long time, so maybe it was something to be surprised about? Since neither of the two were asking him anything, he finished the rest of his pancake, though it was now as cold as the table, and wanted to get a new hot plate of food. Maybe he'd get more eggs this time, or some sausage links...

"Ryo!" Mr. Silvia's loud voice broke him from his thoughts, nearly causing him to spill the contents of his breakfast on his lap. When he was able to focus on the man again, he saw an open manila folder on the table. The first picture he saw was of Lauren, though she looked older with some light brown curls repeling the straightened flow of her hair. Below her picture was the roster of her team: Marowak, Gardevior, Kadabra, Slowbro, Ivysaur, and a Xatu. Lauren was one of the few scientists that he didn't get to play with over the years, though this was mostly due to all of her personal projects dealing with Psychic Pokemon, hence the majority of her team being of that particular elemental type. "I take it this is Lauren?"

"Yes sir."

"We found her alive, defending herself from several of your father's rabid experiments with her Marowak and Xatu. She seems fond of you, like a big sister or a concerned aunt. Did you two have a little-"

"I don't believe that is a necessary question to ask Mr. Silvia..." The assistant brought up in a meek tone. Her words stopped the man from continuing though, allowing Ryo to recall a certain thought and sighed.

"So, what has happened to Vivi and Gaia? Are they being cared for properly, or are they being fed in cages?" The look Mr. Silvia gave him could of meant that they were being cared for, or they were still in their Pokeballs, oblivious to the world or the resolution of the situation before them.

"They're being cared for as if they were our own Ryo. Now Gaia, he is certainly a unique Pokemon just like Vivi to a sense. There are unique differences though, such as the growth of the Pokemon and its features, but I believe that you can tell me more about how Gaia came to be in your life, rather than me speculate various theories." He could only nod, since he was within police custody after all. He began to think back, to picture what had happened after the incident with his father and the Gardevior, as well as what happened between that event and the one Mr. Silvia wanted to know about this time.

_Over the next two years, Vivi and I went through some troubling changes. I slowly began to have second thoughts about my father, as the man was hurting Vivi more during her training, and didn't talk to me face to face anymore. It was through tutors and other scientists that I got any information from him, unless he sent a letter or called me through a speaker. The tutors were forcing me to learn more advanced studies, things I shouldn't be learning at such a young age, and the stress of trying to do my best was getting to me._

_Vivi developed a short fuse, using Dragon Rage whenever she was mad or annoyed, causing damages to some of his books, luckily the unimportant ones, and to the house. The tutors started ignoring her, even going out to say that she was a nusiance to my studying, which earned that unfortunate tutor a forceful body slam to the wall thanks to a strong burst of Confusion. Sadly, she wouldn't get near Lauren, in fear of meeting her mother, I thought, and developed a hatrid for other Psychic types._

_Nothing had happened during the first year, with the exception of becoming eight years old and teaching Vivi the wonders of birthdays. She got to experience other holidays, such as Halloween, and Thanksgiving, though he knew that things would be more fun if they had a new playmate to help stir some fun. There were a few scientists that would allow their Pokemon to play with Vivi and me, such as an older gentleman that brought out his Pidgeotto and made it use a low powered Gust to make me and Vivi fly around a bit, but those moments happened less than I would of liked._

_When Christmas came, I finally was able to see my father once again, though instead of the playful man who always had a spot of dirt on his right cheek, a tired individual was in his place. The man seemed to be covered in various dirts and had the stains on his labcoat to prove it, though the smell the man produced was much worse than the stains. There were no gifts for my father this time, which was odd, since he ALWAYS got gifts in the past, though I, and surprisingly Vivi, had gotten gifts from him. As usual, I got more books, this time on unusual evolutions and the Eevee theory, clothes, and an adjustable Pokebelt._

_Vivi's gifts were odd, as they consisted mostly of various Psychic and Dragon element books, each coming with a small list of techniques that she could learn if she chose to. The true odd gifts were a teaspoon said to increase the effectiveness of her Psychic attacks, as well as a pair of shades that, not only matched her current perscription, but increased the power of her Dark attacks, not that I knew she had any at the time, but my father might of known something he didn't._

'Even if she couldn't use Dark attacks, at least the lenses would protect her eyes from the harsh sunlight.' _Was the thought that replayed in my head during that moment. The last gift was something truly unique, not because of the fact that it was the last gift, but because it brought about an odd feeling from within him._

_"Ryo," My father had said, mostly to catch his attention, "by this time next year, I'll be handing you yet another Pokemon. Seeing how well you've cared for Vivi, I'm sure that you'll be able to handle the next Pokemon with ease." The thought of having another Pokemon scared me, no, that wasn't it. It was the thought of having a Pokemon my father made was what scared me, as I didn't want for what happened to Vivi's mother to happen to another Pokemon. So, I hoped, as it was all I could do, that the Pokemon I was to be given was a regular one, like a Pidgy or a Caterpie._

_So, for the following year, I'd talk to Vivi all about Pokemon, including her breed, in order to get some insight as to what Pokemon she'd like to befriend. Since I had several large books with plenty of pictures to show the Pokemon, it allowed her to get a better understanding of them, as well as helped her convice herself of several she wanted to meet in the future! Mind you, meeting something like a Moltres wasn't on his agenda, but it was something to try and look into in the future at least. Vivi was now talking more, usually in the form of pointing things out and writing one to three words on a notepad, but it was much better than before, when she'd simply point at one thing and not proceed with asking for more information._

_The holidays were interesting, as Vivi and I celebrated them with a lot of emotion and chaotic fun, usually resulting in a giant mess in the main room. Of course, we'd leave before anyone caught us, but they knew it was us. We WERE the only children in the building of course, so who else could it of been? Nothing else major had happened until October, when Vivi and I were sneaking into the kitchen in the middle of the night to snag some ice cream on Halloween. I learned, the first time on accident, that Vivi could use Confusion to unlock my door, allowing us to sneak around during the middle of the night, if we weren't caught of course. On that particular night; however, we came across my father, Dutch, and Lauren, who were in the main room talking._

_"So, how do you think this project will work out, unlike the first one Dutch?"_

_"You mean like the first TWENTY." Dutch replied with a bit of sarcasm. "As for what I think, I'm surprised the latest one is still stable. The first seven didn't last in the eggs, and the other thirteen simply couldn't live past the first month. This one, on the other hand, has lived for nearly a year, and seems to be developing quite nicely. I guess the genetics between those two Pokemon are more compatible than the other Fire types you tried."_

_"Its not that surprising if you think about it." Lauren said with a calm tone. She pulled out a few sheets of paper before handing them to my father. "I'm sure that there were some type of middle ground for the DNA to correctfully merge, since our splicing attempt didn't work. Maybe the third element acts as a buffer of sorts, as long as it isn't weak to the other elements in question."_

_"Considering the project, I'm sure it had to deal with how LITTLE of the element it will be able to use properly, since the majority of it is now the new element." Father said in a calm, yet happy tone. A chuckle escaped Dutch's lips._

_"You know, I bet when this all gets out one day, you'll be called something great, like the Splicing Scientist! You'll become just as famous as Professor Oak, if not more due to what you're research is."_

_"Don't you mean OUR research Dutch?" Lauren replied. The three of them began to laugh, but that wasn't what was on my mind. Instead, I was curious about the unknown Pokemon that my father was now working on. Maybe, just maybe, it was the Pokemon that was meant to be his!_

"So you took your Ralts with you to the laboratory to see this unknown Pokemon, I take?" Mr. Silvia asked him. All Ryo could do was nod as he thought of what happened after he entered his father's lab. He took a sip of water, emptying it out when he saw Mr. Silvia's assistant walk into the room with a plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of water.

"Thank you miss?" Ryo paused as he poured more water into his cup. He couldn't believe that there was a ham and cheese sandwich in the pile of sandwiches, and immediately grabbed the delicious sandwich. The assistant looked confused, as if asking for her name was a rare event, and looked at the computer screen.

"I'm Alice Smith."

"Yes yes, introductions aside." Mr. Silvia grumbled as he plucked one of the sandwiches for himself. "So, care to explain what happened next?" It didn't take much thought to remember what had happened next, since it was one of the most memorable moments in his life...

_"Come on Vivi!" I whispered to her. "You don't need to worry about my father or the others coming in. If the bottle of alcohol was anything to go by, they're going to be busy for a long time." Vivi walked more cautiously than I did, but I couldn't blame her for being careful. I was excited to find this unknown Pokemon that might of been mine!_

_Not much had changed in my father's personal lab. Beakers were still filled with unusually colored liquid, Pokeballs of different types were laying on racks, and various computers littered the tables, prevent smaller objects to find a home on them. I briefly looked at the wall where Vivi's mother was once before, but shook my head and continued towards the door labeled PROJECTS. Thinking of the past wouldn't of helped any, and I knew that if I brought it up to Vivi, she'd be saddened or angry, and I knew my father wouldn't enjoy having to replace thousands of dollars on equipment._

_"Are you sure you want to do this?" Vivi said. Well, she WROTE it, which was the most words she had ever written, but it was the same as speaking aloud to me._

_"Of course! This an adventure the two of us will enjoy for years to come!" I had opened the door after I said that, and noticed that there were many small coffins and the scent of decay lingering in the room. I took a gulp and went forward, glancing at all of the coffins that rested on the shelves where Pokeballs once were. Under each coffin was a name plate, each plate having the same word on it: FAILED PROJECT. The only thing that separated each one were the numbers that went after the two words, though it was still a depressing thought to think about._

_After a few minutes of walking, the two of us came across a different part of the PROJECTS room, labeled SUCCESSES. This must of been the room where my Pokemon is, I had wondered at the time, before opening the door carelessly. Eggs were kept in various capsules, some with heating pads that acted similar to Magma Armor, a known ability that is known to help speed up the process of hatching an egg, while others were kept in regular capsules. Many of them had cracks, signaling that they were to hatch soon, while others didn't look any closer to hatching._

_Then, I saw what would become mine._

_It was small, maybe about a foot, maybe a foot and a half with most of its little body being aquamarine, except for this circular area that went from the snout of the Pokemon to its back, which was lime green. He recognized the Pokemon from one of his Pokemon books, a Cyndaquil of all things! Those were incredibly rare to find outside of Johto, though you could only obtain them from Professor Elm, as their natural breeding ground was protected by his aids._

_Then, he looked onto its back, and noticed that this was no normal Cyndaquil, just like how Vivi was no normal Ralts. On its back was a large pink bulb, which seemed to be about a few inches larger than its head, surrounded by five large palm tree leaves that folded over the small Pokemon's body, leaving only its head exposed in the container it slept in._

_"This has to be it..." I said as I turned to Vivi, who looked as curious as I was at the time. "This has to be our new friend! Oh man, I can't wait to see it in action with us Vivi! We're going to have so much fun!" Vivi walked forward, getting close enough to rest her forehead on its container, if she wished to, and placed her hand on it. She began to glow a soft, gentle blue, signaling she was using her Psychic element, though for what reason he wouldn't know. She pulled away a few moments later, and began to write on her notepad._

_"She is excited to meet us as well." Vivi wrote down, making me smile even more. I leaned towards Vivi and asked her to ask the little Pokemon if it would like to be called Gaia, named after the goddess of Earth, if I remembered from the book I once had about myths of the old world. Before Vivi could press her hand onto the tank, the sound of rough coughing caught our attention, causing us to quickly, yet silently, head out of the room. Right as we were about to leave the PROJECTS room, we saw my father, who sat on one of the chairs in front of an offline computer, and waited, hoping he'd stay laying down._

_"Cilene...I'm sorry..."_

"Cilene?" Alice asked, breaking Ryo's attention from his story. He turned to her and looked down at the table. Even now, he found it hard to talk about that particular topic, especially after what had recently happened.

"Cilene Colnar, was my mother. She died a year before I got Vivi, and my father never told me how she died. A lab accident was his usual response, but he didn't say more than that, and made me believe that there was something more to her death." Alice wore a hurt expression, most likely due to what she, and Mr. Silvia, now knew about the condition of his mother.

"My apologies Ryo." She responded. Ryo, for his part, simply nodded and took several more bites of his sandwich. Once he was done with his food, and took a drink of water to ensure he didn't enther a coughing fit, he finished the rest of his story.

"My father passed out quickly, allowing us to escape from his room without being detected. I worried that he might of had cameras on, but neither he, his assistants, or one of the butlers came to get me over the next two days, signaling that we were in the clear. Just like with Vivi, I got Gaia as a Christmas present, and I was surprised it was Gaia and not one of the younger Pokemon like her. Though, now that I think about it, there were no other Pokemon like her that weren't out of their eggs yet, so who knows?" A knock interrupted him, causing him to pause as Mr. Silvia told the person to enter.

"Ah, Officer Jenny. I take it you have something important to share? I am in the middle of interrogating one of the survivors." The Officer Jenny nodded and pointed to the hallway. He stood up and looked straight at Ryo. "You can continue talking to Alice, and I'll read whatever I missed." With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him. Ryo turned to Alice, who smiled and began typing on her laptop faster than he saw his father type.

"So, what else would you like to share?"

-Author Notes-

Not much to share in this chapter, other than some bonding between Ryo and Vivi, finding out the harsh truth and consequence of his father's actions by creating Vivi, and learned what exactly Gaia is, though what she can do is yet to be seen. Oh, before I forget, Gaia is inspired by the unique Cyndaquil custom event sprite made by Animela on Pokefarm. I thank you for the inspiration for Gaia!

Again, I do hope to hear your thoughts and opinions on the story soon, as your views matter. Until next time!


End file.
